Circa 1970s: Amsterdam Avenue at West 90th Street

By Caitlin Hawke

Call me nostalgic. Or anti-progress. Or a cockeyed pessimist. But I am a sucker for this kind of picture. I like the grit and texture of the NYC of the 70s. Where empty lots and open sky sang out. I liked a city where pretense was sequestered, and most of the town belonged to the people. And by the people, I mean all the people.

With a hair-raising rumor that NYCHA is beginning the process of privatizing its housing stock, I grow concerned that the incredible vibrancy of New York will finally and forever be extinguished. That every last unit of housing will be for the growing upper classes. And worse. That I'll be here to witness it first hand.

And so, that is why I find myself drawn to this time capsule of a shot. An otherwise banal cityscape. That comforts me somehow.